LWREN Audrey Stevenson meets a group of Bosnian refugee children during a project by aid teams from HMS Invincible to recon- struct a wrecked school near the front line. Under continuous threat

from shellfire, officers and men from the carrier have been working in the heart of the war-racked country to get the school back into operation. We follow their efforts in our latest report on the Navy in the Adriatic in page 17.

THAT&#39;S M&#39;BOY!

A WINNING picture in more ways than one, this photo- graph by CPO(PHOT) Al Campbell helped HMS Nep- tune Photographic Unit to win the first prize for a port- folio in the Royal Navy&#39;s Per- egrine Trophy competition. Al achieved the sepia tint

effect by printing on high- gloss paper normally used for colour pictures, while the charm was provided by CPO(W) Quarters Adminis- trator Lynne Walsh and her 13-month-old son Steven. Turn to our centre pages

k

50p

for more of the Navy&#39;s best pictures of 1994.

THE BIGGEST and most sophisticated survey ship ever built for the Royal Navy has been ordered from BAeSEMA by the Ministry of Defence.

survey vessel will be comparable in size with the assault ships HMS Fearless and Intrepid. She will be built around the most sophisticated echo-sounder available — a multi-beam device which requires a large, flat-bottomed hull as a platform.

Weighing-in at a remarkable 13,000 tons, the new ocean

ever, dramatically enhance the results and .efficiency of the Navy&#39;s survey work by transmit- ting an echo-sounding beam up to 120 degrees wide. This produces a single, three-dimensional image of an area of the sea bed covering — for example — 60 square miles at a depth of 5,000 metres.

The new technology will, how-

built at a cost of £40 million by sub- contractors Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd at Bideford, Devon. She will be more than four times the size of the ship she is intended to replace — the 30-year-old survey vessel HMS Hecla.

The as-yet unnamed vessel will be Importance

ment, Defence Procurement Minister Roger Freeman said the new ship would carry out systematic hydro- graphic surveys in the world&#39;s oceans.

tance to the Royal Navy of a continu- ing specialist hydrographic capability and is part of the Government&#39;s plans to replace current hydrographic ves- sels and equipment as it becomes necessary.&#34;

1997 and, despite her large size, will have a complement of only 65-70. She will have an ice-strengthened bow and is designed for deployment world-

The new vessel will enter service in Announcing the order in Parlia- OUT OF &#34;This order recognises the impor-

SUN... HMS BROADSWORD cuts a dash in the Caribbean. The Type 22 frigate is due to leave the sun and return from duty as West Indies guardship in March.

wide, including areas remote from normal shipping lanes.

her capable of on-board data record- ing and precision navigation. She will have oceanographic and geo-physical sensors.

Her hi-tech equipment will make 130m length

Power will be provided by two medium-speed diesel engines driving a single, controllable-pitch propeller giving a speed of 17.5 knots. She will have a length of 130 metres, a beam of 21m, a depth of 14m and draught of 8.3m.

BAeSEMA — equally owned by Bri- • Turn to back page

URVEY GIANT IGHINGI

Picture: LA(PHOT) Mark Misted

Victory events to have caring theme

A NATIONAL campaign has been launched, in tandem with this year&#39;s vic- tory commemorations, to . acknowledge the debt of gratitude owed to those who fought for Britain and the Commonwealth in World War II. Entitled &#34;Tribute and Pro-

mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the war will give the nation the opportunity to remember the actions and sa- crifices of those who won the war,&#34; he said.

Queen

for the VE events. May 6 being dedicated to veterans and their families. The day will culmi-

• Turn to page 24

and Government have been in- vited to attend the official VE Day events in London where the themes will be a celebration of 50 years of peace, reconcilia- tion and the benefits won for the youth of today. Hyde Park will be-the focus

will be marked centrally by events on the bank holiday weekend of May 6-8, with final victory being commemorated on August 19-20. The Queen and other members of the Royal Family will play a promi- nent part on both occasions. More than 50 Heads of State

Mr Major outlined the Government-sponsored com- memorations which will form the nucleus of hundreds of events to be held throughout the country between March and October. The end of the war in Europe

mise&#34;, the campaign was an- ounced by Prime Minister John Major at a press conference in London last month. He said the Promise was a reaffirmation by the voluntary organisations that the caring companionship will not end with the special events. &#34;Our commemorations to